Senior Caleb Grill has been selected to play quarterback in the Shrine Bowl, a all-star football game to benefit the Shriners Hospital for Children. Grill said he is honored to be selected to play.

“I wouldn’t be there without my teammates or coaches,” Grill said.

Grill’s father, Chris Grill, a math teacher at Maize, played in the Shrine Bowl in the summer of 1993 after his senior year at Augusta. Chris said it was a neat honor for anyone to be a part of the Shrine Bowl, but it’s much more than just a game.

“It’s really for a great cause,” his father said. “You don’t realize that at first until you actually go through that experience. For the most part you’re there to play a football game, but then you realize it’s a little bit bigger than a football game.”

Gary Guzman, the varsity football coach, was also selected to be an assistant coach in this upcoming Shrine Bowl. Guzman has participated as an assistant coach and a head coach in the past.

“It’s just a great experience to work with the top athletes in the state and some of the top coaches in the state,” Guzman said. “The reason we are doing it is to raise money for the Shriners Hospital.”

The Shriners Hospital for Children is a nonprofit medical facility that has 22 locations to treat children with various medical needs. Guzman said when the players used to visit the hospitals, it was special for the children and the players.

“When you go into the Shriners Hospital, the kids look at the players as their heros, but when they walk out of there, it was the other way around,” Guzman said.

Caleb will play quarterback and Guzman will be assistant coaching in the 2019 Shrine Bowl on June 8 at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City, KS.

“I’m definitely excited for Caleb,” Guzman said. “He had a great year for us, and I think that this is a great reward for him to be able to play in this because it’s a big deal. The opportunity to play is pretty amazing, so I’m very excited for him and myself. It will be fun.”